Snow Creek > Peak > Tram

General Palm Springs area.

Snow Creek > Peak > Tram

Postby Plante » Fri May 01, 2020 3:39 pm

Once things get back to normal, the Mrs. and I are looking to tackle this one. Judging by online diaries, it looks like a day to get to Fuller Ridge, overnight camp there, then a day to get to the peak and down to tram. Does this sound about right? We recently hiked up Snow Creek for about two hours and loved it (first time, even though we've been here for a few years). Loved the gentle ascent. Seems less intimidating than Skyline, which we have yet to try. What are the most physically challenging sections of this hike?
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Re: Snow Creek > Peak > Tram

Postby zippetydude » Sat May 02, 2020 9:28 am

Hi Plante. I think you'll enjoy the Snow Creek PCT route. Here's a thread from 2009 when I did it with another guy from this board:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=154&p=896&hilit=Snow+Creek+PCT&sid=87427762087f2f350e0d77e0c22aea1d#p896

The overgrown parts can be disconcerting. If you're starting early and come to an overgrown part in the dark, you'll have to stop and wait for daylight to find the trail, but there's nothing dangerous about it. Also, with this late season rain that we just got there may be seasonal springs from mile 6 to 8 or so - very nice in the years when they are there! Anyway, hope you have fun.

z
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Re: Snow Creek > Peak > Tram

Postby Ed » Sat May 02, 2020 9:38 am

I suspect it will be a long time before the tram is operating again.
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Re: Snow Creek > Peak > Tram

Postby Plante » Sun May 03, 2020 10:50 am

We figure we'll start at the crack of dawn, and make it a 2-day trip. I wanna be able to savor the scenery and snap lots of pics. Was just wondering what the steeper parts of the trail were.
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Re: Snow Creek > Peak > Tram

Postby Sally » Thu May 07, 2020 3:38 pm

Hi Plante, I have done Snowcreek to Tram with Ellen as a dayhike twice. The first time we made it to the Peak as well, but the second time we were so knackered that we watched the sunset from the junction of the spur trail to the Peak but did not summit. I probably will not try it again unless I discover the Fountain of Youth.

I think that doing it as an overnighter would be very nice. If you don't want to wait for the Tram to re-open (and I am afraid that by the time it opens, your window of opportunity for avoiding bad summer heat will be over), how about you make it a 2 night overnighter? You could camp at Fuller Ridge the first day, hike to the Peak the next day and then hike down to Little Round Valley (my favorite camp spots on the mountain are there) and spend the second night there. Then hike down to Idyllwild via Deer Springs Trail. The last problem to figure out would be how to get back to your car.

If you want to stick to your original plan, mid to late autumn is a nice time to do that hike, and hopefully the Tram will be open by then.
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